Elliptical excise apparatus capable of increase exercise distance

ABSTRACT

An elliptical exercise apparatus includes a base with two handle bars at a front thereof and two pedal bars pivotally connected to the handle bars. An extending mechanism is provided between a wheel on a rear frame of the base and the pedal bars. The extending mechanism includes an inner link and an outer link pivoted on a rear of a pedal on the pedal bar, a connection bar pivotally connected to the outer link, and a small crank received in a rear pivoting portion of the pedal bar. With the multi-link extending mechanism, the elliptical exercise apparatus of the present invention may provides a greater exercise distance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to an exercise machine, and more particularly, to an elliptical exercise apparatus capable of increasing the exercise distance.

2. Description of the Related Art

An elliptical exercise apparatus is one of the exercise machines, which provides user an elliptical path of exercise. It usually is provided with handles to provide user a whole-body exercise. Such elliptical exercise apparatus is very popular to people now because it provides a low loading exercise and a well exercise effect.

A technical problem, however, of the elliptical exercise apparatus is that the pedal bar is pivoted on the driving wheel directly so that the exercise path it provides is restricted by the size of the elliptical exercise apparatus. Therefore, some inventions are introduced to provide an elliptical exercise apparatus with a greater exercise, such as Taiwan patent application no. 095205419.

Aforesaid application provides an elliptical exercise apparatus with a pedal bar pivoted on a crank, and the crank pivoted on a restricting bar on a rear frame of a transmission assembly. The crank, the restricting bar, and a transmitting wheel of the transmission assembly may increase a moving distance of the pedal bar.

However, there are some problems to be fixed in aforesaid application, which are:

1. Referring to FIG. 5 of the application, beside the crank and the restricting bar, the elliptical exercise apparatus further is provided with the rear frame, on which the restricting bar is pivoted, and other relative elements that make the elliptical exercise apparatus having a complex structure.

2. The pedal is fixed with a pedal board thereon so that it can not provide a further increase of distance except for the crank and the restricting bar. It provides a regular mode of cycling as same as the conventional design.

In conclusion, there still are some parts to be improved in the conventional elliptical exercise apparatuses, and the present inventor, with an experience of manufacture for several years, will provide an elliptical exercise apparatus, which may increase an exercise distance and provides a fun cycling mode.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide an elliptical exercise apparatus, which may increase an exercise distance by a multi-section's pivoting mechanism.

To achieve the foregoing objective of the present invention, an elliptical exercise apparatus includes a base, a handle unit, a stepping unit, a rotation unit, and an extending mechanism. The base is constructed by a plurality of base bars and frames. The handle unit is pivotally connected to the base. The stepping unit, which is provided on two sides of the base and connected to a bottom of the handle unit, has a pedal. The rotation unit, which is pivoted on the base for free rotation, has a crank connected to the stepping unit. The extending mechanism connects the crank of the rotation unit and the stepping unit. The extending mechanism includes a link, a connection bar, and a small crank. The link, which is pivotally connected to the stepping unit directly or indirectly, has an end pivoted on the pedal to move the pedal. The connection bar has an end pivotally connected to the link opposite the pedal. The small crank connects the connection bar and the crank to increase an exercise distance of the stepping unit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a lateral view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the transmitting wheel and the extending assembly of the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a lateral view of the present invention, showing the adjusting device of a first preferred embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a lateral view of the present invention, showing the adjusting device of a second preferred embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a lateral view of the present invention, showing the adjusting device of a third preferred embodiment;

FIG. 7 is a lateral view of the present invention, showing the adjusting device of a fourth preferred embodiment;

FIG. 8 is a lateral view of the present invention, showing the adjusting device of a fifth preferred embodiment;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a front-driving type elliptical exercise apparatus with the adjusting device of the second preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a front-driving type elliptical exercise apparatus with the adjusting device of the third preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 11 is a lateral view of the pedal and the pedal bar of the present invention;

FIG. 12 is a lateral view of another pedal and pedal bar of the present invention; and

FIG. 13 is a lateral view of the third pedal and the pedal bar of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, an elliptical exercise apparatus 1 constructed according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention includes:

A base 10 includes a front base bar 101, a rear base bar 102 and a middle base bar 103 connecting the front base bar 101 and the rear base bar 102 to construct a “I” shaped structure. The base 10 farther includes a front frame 11 on the front base bar 102, a rear frame 12 on the rear base bar 102 and connected to the front frame 11, an auxiliary bar 13 on the rear frame 12 and a U-shaped connection piece 14 on the rear frame 12 to pivot a rotation unit thereon.

A handle unit includes two handles 131 and two handle bars 15. The handles 131 are fixed on the auxiliary bar 13 as a “V” shape. The auxiliary bar 13 is pivoted with two handle links 132 at a middle section thereof to be fixed with the handle bars 15 thereon.

The rotation unit includes a transmission axle 141, a core axle 142 and a wheel 144. The transmission axle 141 is transversely fixed in the U-shaped connection piece 14, and the core axle 142 passes a through hole of the transmission axle 141 for two cranks 143 fixed at opposite ends thereof. The wheel 144 is outside of the U-shaped connection piece 14 and fixed on core axle 142.

A stepping unit includes two pedal bars 16 and two pedals 161 on the pedal bars 16. The pedal bars 16 are on two sides of the base 10. The pedals 161 are movably provided on the pedal bars 16 for reciprocation. Each of the pedal bars 16, between the front frame and the rear frame and parallel to the connection bar, has a front pivoting portion 162 at a front end thereof to be pivoted on a bottom of the handle bar 15 and a rear pivoting portion 163 at a rear end thereof to be pivoted on a free end of the crank 143.

An extending mechanism, which connects the pedal bars 16 and the cranks 143, includes two pairs of inner links 21 and outer links 22, each pair of which are parallel and pivoted on a rear of the pedal 161 by a pin A respectively, that the pedals 161 may reciprocate along the pedal bars 16 as shown in FIG. 11 to FIG. 13. FIG. 11 shows the pedal 161 having wheels 1611 sliding in a rail 17 on the pedal bar 16. FIG. 12 shows the pedal 161 having a wheel 1611. The pedal bar 16 is a round bar to restrict the wheel 1611 of the pedal 161 sliding thereon. FIG. 13 shows the parallel outer link 22 and the transmission bar 1612 been provided between the pedal 161 and the pedal bar 16 to form a four linkage mechanism that may cause the pedal 161 sliding.

A connection bar 23 has a first pivoting portion 231 to be pivoted on a lower pivoting hole of the outer link 22 on the right of the pedal bar 16.

A small crank 24, which is received in an outer side of the rear pivoting 163 of the pedal bar 16, is pivotally connected to a second pivoting portion 232 of the connection bar 23.

The elliptical exercise apparatus provides the extending mechanism, which includes the links 21, 22, the connection bar 23, the small crank 23 and the crank 143 to form a four-linkage mechanism, between the pedal bar 16 and the wheel 144 that swing angles of the connection bar 23, and the links 21, 22 is increased to get a greater elliptical exercise distance. Beside that the extending mechanism doesn't provide extra element to the elliptical exercise apparatus 1 of the present invention. The pedal 161 only has the rear end pivoted on the link 22 that the pedal 161 of the pedal bar 16 keeps in a relative reciprocation motion to have the pedal 161 reciprocating along the pedal bar 16 when the pedal bar 16 reciprocates. This character will create a swing function when user takes exercise on the elliptical exercise apparatus 1 of the present invention.

The elliptical exercise apparatus 1 of the present invention may be further provided with an adjusting device between the outer link 22 and the connection bar 23. Such adjusting device has several embodiments hereunder:

The first embodiment of the adjusting device is shown in FIG. 4, which is a motor 30 for elevation.

FIG. 5 shows the second embodiment of the adjusting device, which includes a triangular plate 40 with an arched slot 41 in association with adjustable holes 42 arranged in a slopping pattern on the outer link 22.

FIG. 6 shows the third embodiment of the adjusting device, which includes a fan plate 50 with an arched slot 51 and adjustable holes 52 in a curved pattern and a pivoting plate 53 connecting the fan plate 50 and the connection bar 23.

The fourth embodiment of the adjusting device is shown in FIG. 7, which includes a moon-shaped plate 60, which connects the outer link 22 and the connection bar 23, with a plurality of adjustable holes 61 to be fitted with the connection bar 23 at different heights. This adjusting device provides a selection in height to provide different exercise distance and maximum exercise distance.

The fifth embodiment of the adjusting device is shown in FIG. 8, which includes a retractable tube 70 connecting the outer link 22 and the connection bar 23. The retractable tube 70, which has two tubes fitted to each other, has a plurality of adjustable holes 71 to be fitted with the connection bar 23 respectively to get different exercise distance and maximum exercise distance.

At last, FIG. 9 and FIG. 10 show two front-driving type elliptical exercise apparatuses 2 equipped with the extending mechanisms of the second and third embodiments respectively. Compare with the rear-driving type elliptical exercise apparatuses 1, shown in FIG. FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the different part of the front-driving type elliptical exercise apparatus 2 is that the rotation unit is provided at a front of the base, and the other structure and function are the same. The front-driving type elliptical exercise apparatus 2, as same as the rear-driving type elliptical exercise apparatus 1, may be provided with the adjusting mechanism on the extending mechanism to provide maximum exercise distance and adjustable exercise distance.

Although a particular embodiment of the invention has been described in detail for purposes of illustration, various modifications and enhancements may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. 

1. An elliptical exercise apparatus, comprising: a base constructed by a plurality of base bars and frames; a handle unit pivotally connected to the base; a stepping unit, which is provided on two sides of the base and connected to a bottom of the handle unit, having a pedal; a rotation unit, which is pivoted on the base for free rotation, having a crank connected to the stepping unit; and an extending mechanism, through which the crank of the rotation unit is connected to the stepping unit, including a link, which is pivotally connected to the stepping unit directly or indirectly, having an end pivoted on the pedal to move the pedal, a connection bar having an end pivotally connected to the link opposite the pedal, and a small crank connecting the connection bar and the crank to increase an exercise distance of the stepping unit.
 2. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the rotation unit is provided at a rear of the base to form a rear-driving type elliptical exercise apparatus.
 3. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the rotation unit is provided at a front of the base to form a front-driving type elliptical exercise apparatus.
 4. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 2, wherein the base includes a front base bar, a rear base bar, a middle base bar connecting the front base bar and the rear base bar, a front frame connected to the front base bar, a rear frame connected to the rear base bar, an auxiliary bar connected to the rear frame, and a handle link vertically connected to the auxiliary bar for pivotal connection with the handle unit.
 5. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the handle unit includes two handle bars connected to opposite ends of the handle link and having bottom ends thereof pivotally connected to the stepping unit, and a handle on a top end of the auxiliary bar.
 6. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the stepping unit includes a pedal bar pivotally connected to the handle unit, on which the pedal is slidably provided.
 7. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 4, wherein the rotation unit includes a transmission axle, a core axle, and a wheel, and the rear frame is provided with a U-shaped connection piece to pivot the wheel thereon, and the core axle is received in the transmission axle with opposite end thereof connected to the crank and the wheel respectively.
 8. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 1, wherein the link includes an inner link and an outer link.
 9. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 1, further comprising an adjusting device between the link and the connection bar.
 10. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the adjusting device includes a motor for elevation.
 11. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the adjusting device includes a triangular plate with an arched slot, and the link has a plurality of adjustable holes to be fitted with the connected bar respectively.
 12. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 9, wherein the adjusting device includes a fan plate, which has an arched slot and adjustable holes, and a pivoting plate connecting the fan plate and the connection bar.
 13. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the adjusting device includes a moon-shaped plate with a plurality of adjustable holes to be fitted with the connection bar respectively.
 14. The elliptical exercise apparatus as defined in claim 10, wherein the adjusting device includes a retractable tube, which includes an inner tube and an outer tube fitted to each other and having a plurality of adjustable holes thereon, connecting the link and the connection bar. 